Signal and stopping mechanism for railway-cars.



r. c. WILLIAMS. SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS. v

. APPLlCATlON FILED APR-11.1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET I- .i ll

Y E N R 0 T T A WITNESSES 'rmz COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

F. C. WILLIAMS.

SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM FOR RAiLWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1910.

1 1 @Ufi 1|. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS$HEET 2.

A Q 3 N FIG; 21

F. C. WILLIAMS.

SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1910.

L WQQIL fin Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES WE era PATENT OFFfFH FRANK G. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY BLOCK SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY-CABS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1216.

Application filed April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,600.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK C. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal and Stopping Mechanism for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a signal system for railways, wherein the signals are maintained in one position by a closed electric circuit and automatically shifted to an alternate position by gravity.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and eflicient signal mechanism that may be automatically shifted to a position to indicate safety by a normally open electric circuit which is momentarily closed, to actuate said signal mechanism, by means actuated by a normally closed electric circuit which maintains said signal mechanism in said safety position in opposition to the force of gravity, and which is arranged to be short-circuited by the pres ence of a car in the section of track protected by said signal, to release said signal, and permit it to shift by gravity to a danger position.

The form of this invention hereinafter described, provides signal and stopping mechanism, comprising a track having a rail there of divided into blocks or sections; signal stations suitably disposed with respect to said sections, each of which includes a movable semaphore rotatable in ball hearings on an axis extending longitudinally with respect to said semaphore and transverse to the track; means normally tending to shift said signal to danger position by gravity; a pivoted lever connectedto oscillate with said semaphore; an electromagnet arranged to shift said lever and semaphore to a safety position; a relay comprising a magnet; a pivoted armature for said magnet, comprising a hooked detent; a link carried by said lever, provided with a hook arranged to be engaged by said detent; a normally open electric circuit local to said signal station, and comprising a suitable battery, a solenoid, and a contact plate engaged by said lever and arranged to be momentarily closed through said lever by the action of said relay; a normally closed electric circuit including said relay, the track rails and a closed circuit battery, and arranged to be short-circuited by the presence of a car in the block or section of rail connected with said relay.

This, invention further includes the various novel features of construction and ar- Eaggement hereinafter more definitely speci- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a locomotive with a fragment of its tender in side elevation, showing its relation with two block signal stations; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring of the block signal system; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview of one of the signal stations, showing the danger set semaphore in elevation; and Fig. 4, is a fragmentary plan view of the tripping lever in operative position.

In said figures, the locomotive 5 and tender 6 are arranged to traverse the track rails 7 and 8 which are divided into blocks or sections having the adjacent ends of one of the rails of each division separated by insulation 10. Contact plates 12, 13 and 1% are disposed between the track rails 7 and 8, adjacent to the rail 7 and contact plates 16, 17 and 18 are disposed between said track rails 7 and 8, adjacent to the rail 8. The contact plates 12 and 13 being so disposed as to be engaged by the contact roller 20 carried by the tender 6 before reaching the insulation 10, when the train is traveling toward the left in Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrow thereon, and the contact plates 16 and 17 are arranged to be engaged by the contact roller 20 before the train reaches the insulation 10 when traveling toward the right in said figure. I

The contact plate 14 is disposed in such relation to the insulation 10 as to be en- '12, 13, 14, l6, l7 and 18 are disposed at suitable distances from the insulations 10 depending upon the speed of the trains and the curves and grades of the road.

The contact plate 12 is connected by a line wire 21 to a contact plate'22 which,

is arranged at the signal station 23 to be engaged by a pivoted controlling lever 24: which is connected by a'line wire 25 to the undivided track 8. The contact plate 13 is connected by a line wire 26 to the insulated rail of the block or section of track 7 in advance, and the contact plate 1 1 is connected by a line wire 28 with a spring contact plate 29, which is located in the signal station 23, and which is arranged to be engaged by the pivoted controlling lever 24: when shifted to the safety position. n

The controlling lever 24 is connected by v the link 30 to the lever 31 onthe'shaft 32 of the semaphore 35, and said shaft 32 is suitably journaled in theball bearing hub 36 carried by the signal post 37. Said signal post 37 supports the canopy 38 which extends over the semaphore and protects the same from the elements.

The semaphore 35 is provided with a colored glass pane 39, so disposed that when the semaphore 35 is shifted to the danger position, said pane is presented in alinement with the axis of the light rays of the lantern 40, which normally shows a white or plain light when the semaphore is oscil- ,lated to the safety position as shown at the signal station 33.

The pivoted lever 24: is arranged to be shifted to the safety position bythe solenoid 42 included-in the normally open electric circuit 13, which comprises the open circuit battery 44-, contact 45, relay yoke 46, and acontact plate 47 arranged to be engaged by said lever 24: when in danger position, said circuit 43 being arranged to be momen tarily closed through said lever by the actuation of the relay yoke d6 which energizes said solenoid 42 to shift said lever 2-1t to the safety position wherein said lever is freed from the contact plate a7, and the momentarily closed circuit L3 is thus broken.

The relay yoke L6 is provided with an electro-magnet 48, having an armature 49 pivoted as at 50, and provided with a detent hook 51 arranged to engage the free hook end 52 of a link 53 carried by the control ling lever 2i, when said lever 24 is shifted to the safety position as shown at the sig nal station 33. The adjacent retaining surfaces of the detent 51 and the hook end 52 of the lever 53, incline at such an angle as to be readily disengaged by the tilting of the armature 49 upon its pivot when the circuit of the electro-magnet L8 is broken or short-circuited, said disengaging action being effected by the action of the weight 55 carried by the shaft of the semaphore 35, and which normally tends "to shift the mechanism at the signal station to the danger position. The electroanagnet 48 of the relay yoke to has its opposite terminals respectively, connected by the line wires 56 and 57 with the track rails 7 and 8, which are continuously energized by their connection through the respective line wires 58 and 59 with the opposite poles of the closed circuit battery (30, preferably of the bluestone type. The contact plates 16, 17 and 18 are similar to the contact plates 12, 13 and 1-l connected with the signal stations 23 and 33, and are connected to actuate similar mechanism in the signal stations 62 and 63 by a train traversing the track rails 7 .and 8 toward the right in Fig. 2.

It may be observed that the wiring connections shown in Fig. 2 are such that the presence of a car in a block or section effects the actuation of the signals at the signal stations on opposite sides of the track respectively in the rear and forward of the car to prevent either a train or car following, or a train or car traversing the track in the opposite direction from entering the occupied block or section of track.

As shown in Fig. 3, the ball bearing hub -36 is mounted in the signal post 37, and is provided w1th flanges 65 which provide ball races 66 for the bearing balls 07, which rotatein the ball races ()8 in the cone bearings 69, the latter being in threaded engagement with the shaft 32, for their convenient adjustment. The stopping mechanism carried by each locomotive 5, is connected to actuate the throttle valve lever 70 to shut off the motive power and to contemporaneously actuate the train pipe valve 71 in the train pipe 72 to apply the brakes by releasing the pressure. Said stopping mechanism comprises the cylinder 73, whose piston is connected with the valve 71 and is arranged to be actuated by the air pressure from the air brake system. Said cylinder 73 is connected by the pipe 74 with the air pressure reservoir 75 of the air brake system, and said air pressure is properly admitted to the cylinder by the slide valve 76 so connected with the piston as to be properly shifted to admit and exhaust the pressure to and from said cylinder 73. The train pipe valve 71 is provided with the lever 77 connected to be oscillated by the reciprocation of said piston, to alternately open and close said valve 71 which effects the gradual setting of the brakes.

Admission of pressure to the cylinder 73 may be manually regulated by the valve 78 in the pipe 7 1, said valve being controlled by a suitable hand wheel provided for its convenient adjustment. The admission of air through the pipe 74 to the cylinder 73 is automatically controlled by the motor valve 79, which is provided with the operating arm 80, having a weight disposed at its free end arranged to rotate said valve by force of gravity to open position when released. The arm 80 is normally retained in position to close the valve 79 by a hook 81, which is arranged to engage the pivoted detent 82, tripped from engagement with said hook by the solenoid 83 when energized, to free the weighted lever arm 80 and permit it to drop by gravity to open the valve 79, and admit pressure to the cylinder 73.

The solenoid 88 is energized by closing the circuit 85, which includes the battery 86 carried by the tender 6, whose opposite ends are respectively connected with the wheel 88 of the car or tender, and the contact roller through the brush 19. The closing of the circuit 85 is efiected when said contact rollerengages one of the contact plates 12, 18 and 14 when traversing the track toward the left with respect to Fig. 2, and the contact plates 16, 17 and 18 when traversing the track toward the right with respect to said figure, and completes the circuit through the line wires, which are respectively connected therewith through the rail 8, wheels 88 to release the hook 81 and open the train pipe 72 to atmosphere. The valve 79 is arranged to be automatically closed by the rack bar 90, which is provided with a projection 91, extending into the path of the lever 80 so that said lever may be engaged thereby and shifted to its normally closed position. Said rack bar 90 is provided with rack teeth, and is intermittently shifted by the pawl 92 pivoted on the lever 77 in engagement with said rack teeth until said projection 91 has engaged the lever 80 and shifted it to the position to close the valve 79.

The valve 71 may be shifted to closed position by the manual actuation of the resetting slide bar 94 which is arranged to engage the pawl 92 and to uplift the latter from engagement with the teeth of the rack bar 90, so that said rack bar may be shifted relative to said pawl to its normal position, by engagement of the projection 95, on the slide bar with the abutment 89 on said rack bar 90. Said abutment 89 is arranged to engage the end of the pawl 92 to effect the movement of the lever 7 7 to its normal position to close the valve 71, whereupon the brakes may be manually controlled by the operator through the valve 96 in the feed pipe 97 which connects the reservoir with the train pipe 72.

The motive power of the locomotive is arranged to be automatically shut off by the air pressure from the reservoir 75 and is provided with the cylinder 99 whose piston is connected with the bell crank lever 100 arranged to engage the grip lever 101 of the throttle lever bolt 103, which normally locks the throttle lever in its respective positions. The actuation of said bell crank lever 100 shifts said bolt 108 to release it from the sector 104. Said cylinder 99 is secured to the boiler and is connected by the pipe 105 with the pipe 7 4 between the cylinder 73 and the valve 79, so that when said valve 7 9 is shifted to actuate the piston of the cylinder 73, air pressure is at the same time admitted to the cylinder 99, and the movement of its piston shifts the throttle lever bolt 103 from engagement with its notch in the sector 10st, and permits the throttle lever 70 to be freely shifted by the further movement of the pis ton of the cylinder 99 to close the throttle valve, not shown.

In order to provide against the possibility of the electrical mechanism failing to perform the function for which it is designed, mechanism is provided for automatically tripping the valve 79. Said mechanism comprises the rod 110, connected with the lever 111, which is fulcrumed centrally and connected by the link 112 to the centrally fulcrumed lever 118, which is connected by the link 114 with the spring plate 115, mounted on the roof of the locomotive cab 116. The spring plate 115 is arranged to be depressed by the lever 117 which, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 41, is pivoted at 118 and normally held by the spring 119 in the position shown in Fig. 2. Said lever 117 eX- tends laterally from the locomotive cab and carries the arm 120 pivoted at 121 and yieldingly engaged with the lug 122 by the spring 123.

The arm 120 is arranged to engage any of the projections 411 which depend into its path, from the semaphore, when in danger position to shift said lever 117 upon its pivot in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 which depresses the spring plate 115, and through the links and levers above described, shifts the rod 110, to mechanically depress the detent 82 which releases the arm 80 and permits it to be shifted by gravity to the position to effect the actuation of the stopping mechanism of the locomotive in the same manner as when said detent is shifted electrically.

The mechanism above described operates as follows: Assuming the semaphore 35 to occupy the danger position as shown at the signal stations 23 and 62, and the operator disregarding the warning visible signal, endeavors to enter the preceding block or section of track protected by said signal, from the right hand end, the contact roller 20 engages the contact plate 12 which closes the circuit through the line Wire 21, contact plate 47, lever2 l, line wire 25, track 8, and completes the circuit 85, including the battery 86 and solenoid 83 carried by the car, which trips the detent 82 and permits the valve -79 to open-and thereby actuate the stopping mechanism of the locomotive 5, above described. If, however, said signal 35 occupy the safety position, as indicated at the signal stations 33 and 63, the train is permitted to pass said signal and enter the next succeeding block or section of track, which short-circuits the line including the line wire 56, relay magnet as and line wire 57 and permitsthe electric fluid from the battery 60 to pass directly through the axles of the wheels of the car or train, whereby the current is prevented from energizing the magnet of said relay yoke 46, and its armature is free to be rocked upon its pivot 50, by the force of the weight 55, which normally tends to separate the detent 51 and hook 52; thus the lever 24 is permitted to be rocked by said weight to the danger position shown at the signal stations 28 and 62, to protect the block or section of track occupied by the engine 5 and tender 6 as shown in Fig. 2. If the semaphores 35 at the signal stations 23 and 62 are properly shifted to danger positions by the short-circuiting of the line circuit including the relay magnets 48, the further movement of the car or train in the sec tion of track protected by said signals, effects the engagement of the contact plate 14 by the contact roller 20, Whose connected line circuit is opened by the proper shifting of the lever 24, said car or train may proceed without being affected by the engagement of the contact members, which indicates to the operator that the signals have been properly shifted to protect the block or section of track occupied by his train or car. If, however, from any cause, the semaphores 85 should fail to properly shift to the danger position upon the entrance of a train into the block or section of track, the further movement of the train in said block effects the engagement of the con tact roller 20 with the contact plate 14: which completes the circuit through the line wire 28, spring contact 29, lever 2%, line wire 25, track 8, wheel 88, and completes the circuit 85, on the car, including the battery 86 and solenoid 83 which actuates the stopping mechanism above described to stop the train. The operator is thereby warned that the signals were not properly shifted to protect the block 'or section of track occupied by his train, which enables him to properly reset said signal to the danger position, or to flag a train following, so that as may be observed, it is impossible for a train to proceed through a block or section which is not properly protected.

In event of the improper working of the signals above described, or of a train following so closely after another train that the following train may encounter a safety set signal, while a train occupies the preceding block, the following train will be automatically stopped, independently of the signal mechanism by the contact of the roller 20 with the contact plate 13, which closes the circuit through the line wire 26, the axles of the train in the preceding block or section of track, rail 8, wheel 88 of the following train, which completes the circuit 85, on the car, including the solenoid 83 and batttery 86 to actuate the stopping mechanism of said following train. Thus it will be seen that even though the signal may be inoperative, from any cause, it will be impossible for a train to enter a block or section of track which is already occupied by another train, either following, or proceeding headon.

The signal system above described is operated mechanically in addition to the electrical devices described, and, assuming that the batteries are consumed, polarized, or the wires severed, and a train endeavors to proceed past a signal station which indicates danger the arm 120 of the lever 117 engages the depending projection 41, above described, and trips the detent 82 to release the valve 79, in the same manner as when actuated by the solenoid 83, so that as may be readily seen, it is impossible for a train to proceed unless the signals are properly set, and the signal system is in proper working order.

It is not desired to limit this invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway signal, the combination with a semaphore normally tending to shift to one position by gravity, of a pivoted lever connected with said semaphore, a normally closed electric circuit, including a relay comprising a magnet, a pivoted armature for said magnet provided with a detent, arranged to retain said semaphore in a position in opposition to the action of gravity, and a normally open electric circuit local to said semaphore,-and including a battery a solenoid and a terminal contact plate arranged to be engaged by said pivoted lever, and momentarily closed through said lever by the movement of said relay to shift said semaphore and lever to the position retained by said detent.

2. In a railway signal, the combination with a semaphore normally tending to shift to one position by gravity, of a pivoted lever connected with said semaphore, a normally closed electric circuit, including a relay comprising a magnet, a pivoted armature for said magnet, provided with a detent arranged to retain said lever and said semaphore in a position in opposition to the ac tion of gravity, a normally open electric circuit local to said semaphore, and including a battery, and a solenoid and a contact plate engaged by said lever when in the gravity maintained position, and arranged to be momentarily closed by the movement of said relay when energized to shift said semaphore and lever to the position retained by said detent.

3. In a railway signal, the combination with a semaphore normally tending to shift to one position by gravity, of a pivoted lever connected to shift with said semaphore, a normally closed electric circuit, including a relay comprising a magnet, a pivoted armature for said magnet, arranged to support said relay when energized, and provided with a detent, a link carried by said lever having a hooked end arranged to be engaged by said detent, and a normally open electric circuit local to said semaphore, and in cluding an open circuit battery a solenoid and a terminal contact plate arranged to be engaged by said pivoted lever, when in the gravity maintained position and to be disengaged by said lever when in position retained by said detent, and momentarily closed by the movement of said relay when energized, to energize said solenoid and shift said semaphore and its lever to the position where the hook on said link is engaged by said detent.

4. In a railway signal, the combination with a semaphore movable from a given position to a second position and tending to return to said given position when in said second position, of a fixed terminal contact, a movable contact connected to said semaphore and arranged to swing into and out of engagement with said fixed contact about a fixed axis, means including an electric circuit connected with said fixed contact and arranged to be de'e'nergized by the movement of said movable contact, for moving said semaphore from said given position to said second position, and means including an electric circuit, including the coils of a movable electro-magnet, for causing said first mentioned circuit to be energized to shift said semaphore from said given position to said second position, and a movable armature cooperating with said magnet for holding said semaphore in said second position.

5. A railway signal comprising a lever movable about an axis from a given position to a second position and tending to return to said given position when in said second position, a normally closed electric circuit including a movable electro-magnet, a movable armature cooperating with said magnet lit and provided with a detent, means carried by said leverand arranged to engage said detent when said lever is in said second position, a fixed terminal contact plate arranged to be engaged by said lever when said lever is in said given position and to be out of contact with said lever when said lever is in said second position, a normally open electric circuit connected to said contact plate and to said lever and arranged to be closed as a result of the energizing of said magnet, and means included in said last-mentioned circuit for shifting said lever from said given position to said second po sition.

6. A railway signal comprising a semaphore movable from a given position to a second position and tending to return to said given position when in said second position, means including a normally open electric circuit arranged to shift said semaphore from said given position to said second position upon said circuit being closed, a normally closed electric circuit including the coils of an electro-magnet, said magnet being mounted to oscillate about a fixed axis to close said normally open electric circuit to cause said semaphore to be shifted from said given position to said second position, and means including an armature mounted to oscillate about a fixed axis and cooperating with said magnet for retaining said semaphore in said second position.

7. A railway signal comprising a semaphore arranged to oscillate in opposition to the action of gravity about a fixed axis from a given position to a second position, a nor mally open electric circuit and means cooperating therewith to shift said semaphore from said given position to said second position, a normally closed electric circuit including the coils of an electro-magnet, said magnet being pivotally mounted to close said normally open circuit, and means to hold said semaphore in said second position against the action of gravity including an armature pivoted to swing about a fixed axis and arranged to cooperate with said magnet.

8. In a railway signal, the combination with an element movable through a predetermined path from a given position to a second position, and tending to return to said given position when in said second position, a fixed electric contact arranged to be engaged by said element when in said given position and throughout the major portion of its movement through said path and to be out of engagement with said element during the remainder of its movement through said path, and when said element is in said second position, means comprising a normally open electric circuit including said contact and said element for shifting said element from said given position to said seo- Ind 0nd position, means comprising a normally closed electric circuit including the coils of a movable cle'ctro-magnet for closing said normally open circuit, and means including an armature controlled by said magnet for retaining said element in said second position.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of April, A. D. 1910.

FRANK O. WILLIAMS.

WVitnesses CLIFTON C. HALLOWELL, ALEXANDER PARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

